


A garden in Wakanda

by Fighting_for_Creativity



Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BBB Fluffathon, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Flowers, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Genius Shuri (Marvel), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Shuri Knows Everything, protective shuri, tony stark mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22884592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fighting_for_Creativity/pseuds/Fighting_for_Creativity
Summary: Shuri wanted a break from her lab and wandered outside into the garden, where she meets the White Wolf Barnes.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Shuri
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30
Collections: BBB Special Events





	A garden in Wakanda

**Author's Note:**

> My knowledge about botanic comes from the internet. ^.^"
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oeceoclades_ugandae
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strophanthus_petersianus
> 
> This is day 2 of the BBB 2020 Fluffathon.  
> Today's prompt: Orchid, outside, ordering in
> 
> Have fun folks

Shuri had been conferencing with Dr. Stark about B.A.R.F. again. Why that man shortened a wonderful description like binary augmented retro framing into that, was beyond the seventeen-year-old. She still thought it better to tell the White Wolf of Starks involvement but had finally conceded. ‘Bast, that man is more bullheaded than I!’

After the conference call had ended, she stretched her slightly sore limbs and yawned, realizing that she had been on the phone for the better part of the afternoon. The princess hopped down from her stool, waving at her guards and walked out into the gardens. Shuri liked the nature surrounding her, loved the bushes and trees, the flowers and small animals gravitating to the rich fauna. Normally around this time of the day, the heat had just broken and the evening not quite settled, the only other person in the garden was Nakia. That was if she was around and not on a mission.

However, as Shuri walked further into the middle of the garden, she could feel someone else's presence. It was someone she knew, but not well, which gave her pause. The rouges, as the western world has taken to call them, have no access to this area. T’Challa hadn’t some diplomats over she knew or any at all period. Taking everything into consideration it could only be one person. Hurrying her steps, she reached the middle and found exactly who she thought it would be, the White Wolf.

He sat, one knee close to his body the other leg dangling a bit from the stone he sat on. His long fringe was braided out of his face and not for the first time she wondered who he let close enough to do that. Barnes had his eyes closed, a peaceful expression attached to the still hallowed face. “Hello, White Wolf.” 

Piercing blue eyes snapped open and fixed on her. Smiling shyly, Barnes replied: “Hello little princess.”

“Mind the company?”

“Nyt.” After he said that, a hurriedly concealed look of horror flicked over his face. Shuri’s heart ached for the tortured soul in front of her. He wasn’t used to making choices. He wasn’t used to talking, to eating, to sleeping, to just being left in peace. Her resolve to help him got stronger with every display of insecurity and fear.

“Thanks. I really love the garden around this time of the year.”

“Huh?”

“Yes. You see, White Wolf, the  **Strophanthus petersianus** blooms right now. As she is a liane, it’s rare for her to do so.” Shuri pointed towards the right side of their location where a tree otherwise bleak, was covered in fine lighter wood strands, plenty of lush green leaves among them. Every now and then a light yellow kelch with added spiraling downwards petals in orange, yellow and red gave the whole plant a mystic appearance.

“They’re beautiful.”

Shuri walked closer towards Barnes, pointing a finger to the barely there space close to him on another, slightly lower stone. “Is it ok if I sit here?”

“Sure. It is, after all your garden not mine, princess.” The words were formed hastily, lacking a clear pronunciation and could have been mistaken for a murmur of incoherency if Shuri hadn’t been paying so close attention. In answer she smiled reassuringly and hopped on the stone, turning into the direction the wolf had been facing before she greeted him. 

“Sure, the  **Strophanthus petersianus** is pretty in bloom. However, I don’t like her for that.” She knew she had the man's attention and thus continued “A common name for her is the  _ sand forest poison rope _ . The Zulu used her as a charm against evil, and we as an arrow poison in the past. Before Wakanda has become what it is now, before we had vibranium, my ancestors have hunted and defended themselves with her.”

A long dragged out silence fell upon the two different people. Then, as Shuri thought she wouldn’t get a reaction anymore, Barnes spoke: “That… is very interesting. Another… uhm… way of demonstrating how the outside can be… deceiving?”

“Yes, yes indeed. Do you have a flower or plant you like?”

“I… think yes. There… this flower” he pointed towards very small white flowers. Shuri noted that those were at a good distance, which meant if she didn’t know the garden as she did, she would have trouble recognizing the plant. “ **Oeceoclades ugandae** ?” Shuri mumbled surprised. Louder she said: “the orchid?”

Barnes tipped his head thoughtfully to the side for a bit before he nodded. “Yes, orchid sounds right. I… I think my little sister, Becca, loved orchids. I just sat here looking at them and got this feeling… like I just know, ya know princess?”

Shuri had to restrain herself from whipping around towards him. If he could remember without the program, if he was recovering this fast, there was hope for a full recovery. Something she hadn’t realized was tight in knots inside her unwound at that. “I think I know what you mean, White Wolf. Can you… can you tell me more about your sister? It’s not bad if you can’t.”

“She… was always a strong gal. She didn’t take crap from anyone, I think. Maybe… she has been a lot like you little princess?”

After that small confession, because to Shuri it felt like one, they stayed silent for a long while. As the sun was setting, the thought which had plagued Shuri since Barnes compared her to  _ Becca _ , needed to be voiced. Very delicately she untangled her limbs and jumped to the ground, turning towards Barnes and said: “If you can and want, you can always tell me more about her. Until that, what do you think about getting some food delivered instead of the kitchen? And learning about western movies together, while we’re at it. I am not supposed to order in, but I believe I will be forgiven if the White Wolf craves some food from outside.”

Barnes looked at her, surprise reflected in his eyes, face otherwise stoic until the barest hint of a smile tugged on his lips. “Sounds lovely, princess. I’d be honored.”

As soon as he stood beside her, she swatted at him and laughed: “Stop that, wolf! I don’t want to hear formalities out of your mouth! Especially while we consider what to order from the city.”

The words coming from Barnes after that were still unnaturally slow but a slightly cheeky tone carried with them and Shuri was happier than she would admit to, like ever. 

“I heard pizza is a must to western movies.”


End file.
